SETC News Spring 2026

SPRING 2026

NEWS

Newsletter of Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc.

CONTENTS Thoughts from the President’s Desk Page 1

A Setting Where History Meets the Horizon Page 2

Pages to Performance Page 4

Why is SETC Special?

Page 7

Theatre Symposium: Welcome to Clark Atlanta Page 9

Job Listings & More Page 10

SETC Convention Award Announcements Page 11

Secondary School Festival Award Announcements Page 12

Studio Festival Award Announcements Page 15

Community Theatre Festival Award Announcements Page 17

Best of the Fringe

www.setc.org

SETC 2026 – Renewed my spirit!

Walking into SETC 2026, I hoped for a conference that would reignite my passion for theatre, storytelling, and the power of creative community—and it did exactly that.

SETC has always been known as a hub for artists, educators, and industry professionals, but this year was magical. I had the feeling everyone at the conference was hungry for collaboration, networking, and stirring their creativity. Whether you were a seasoned professional or a student attending for the first time, SETC made room for everyone to feel challenged and inspired.

Jeremy Kisling (he/him) President

The festival performances were top‑notch, showcasing talent that was bold, fearless, and astonishingly moving across every festival and production. Each performance served as a powerful reminder of why live theatre is irreplaceable.

What continues to fill my heart is the sense of community. SETC isn’t just a place to network—it’s a place to connect genuinely. Conversations spark in hallways, continue over meals, and grow into meaningful relationships.

Page 20

Design Tech Award Announcements Page 21

SETC 2026 also served as a powerful reminder of why gathering like this matters. In an industry that can often feel uncertain, this convention reaffirms that none of us are creating alone. It reminded me that theatre thrives on collaboration, courage, and community—and that those values are alive and well.

As I left, I headed home with renewed motivation. SETC 2026 didn’t just inspire me; it reminded me why I fell in love with theatre and its people in the first place. I hope your experience stays with you long after you return home, just as mine will.

NEWS A Setting Where History

Connecting You to Opportunities in Theatre Nationwide

Central Office SETC 5701 W. Gate City Blvd.

Suite K, Box 186 Greensboro, NC 27407 336 265 6148 info@setc.org

Central Office Team Joanna Sheehan Bell (she/her) Executive Director Jack Benjamin (he/him) Outgoing Executive Director Maegan McNerney Azar (she/her) Staff Board Liaison Beth Watkins Brown (she/her) Director & Producer of Festivals & Special Events Nikki Baldwin (she/her) Support Staff Specialist & Asst. to Editor-in-Chief Marci Duncan (she/her) Director of Auditions

Aaliyah Jordan (she/her) Resource Specialist Sharell Luckett, PHD (she/her) Editor-in-Chief, Southern Theatre Magazine

Veronica Neblett (she/her) Accounting/HR Generalist Thomas Pinckney(he/him) Director of Advancement

ADVERTISE with us!

Meets the Horizon Join Us This October in Chillicothe

By Lance Culpepper

At a time when everyone is thinking of Spring break and summer vacations, I would like you to consider the cool days of Fall. There is a specific kind of magic that settles over Southern Ohio when the calendar turns to October.

The humid haze of the Scioto River valley lifts, replaced by a crisp, biting clarity. It is against this backdrop that we invite you to the 2026 National Convention on Outdoor Theatre, Lance Culpepper (he/him) hosted by the Scioto Society Chair, Outdoor Theatre Committee producers of the historic outdoor drama, “Tecumseh!” in the historic heart of the Buckeye State: Chillicothe, Ohio.

Choosing a location for an outdoor theatre conference is about more than just finding a hall with enough chairs; it’s about finding a place that inspires and engages artists and producers. As Ohio’s first capital, it sits at the intersection of ancient civilization and pioneer ambition. Chillicothe is hub for history and nature including the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, the historic Aden Mansion, and over 200 miles of scenic trails.

An Active Convention This year’s programming is designed to get you out of your seat and into the field. This conference is more than convention hall meeting rooms.

Every day is a different experience visiting local venues such as Sugarloaf Mountain, home of “Tecumseh!”, and the historic Majestic Theatre in downtown Chillicothe. At "Tecumseh!" we will meet with the production team of the world-famous outdoor drama to discuss the intersection of cultural storytelling, tourism, and large-scale outdoor event management including their seasonal offering, ‘Haunted Mountain’.

SETC offers several affordable ways to put your program in front of a broad audience.

Email us for more information.

www.setc.org

SPRING 2026

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NEWS Connecting You to Opportunities in Theatre Nationwide

Central Office SETC

continued We will have the opportunity to discover charming downtown Chillicothe shops near the Majestic Theatre where we will tour the venue and discuss community partnerships featuring Melody Young, Visit Chillicothe’s Executive Director, and Brandon Cavender Smith, Producer and CEO of Tecumseh! Additional programming and excursions are in development as well.

5701 W. Gate City Blvd.

Suite K, Box 186 Greensboro, NC 27407 336 265 6148 info@setc.org

Executive Committee Jeremy Kisling (he/him) President Ian Andersen (he/him) VP of States

Ginger Poole Avis (she/her) VP of Finance Carlton V. Bell II (they/them) VP of Opportunity & Access Harry Culpepper (he/him) VP of Divisions Caroline Jane Davis (she/her) Secretary Jeff Gibson (he/him) Elected Past President Iris Goode-Middleton (she/her) VP of Administration Matthew Leckenbusch (he/him) VP of Services

ADVERTISE with us!

SETC offers several affordable ways to put your program in front of a board audience.

Email us for more information.

The cast of the award winning outdoor drama “Tecumseh!”

Why October?

It is the season of harvest, of reflection, and of preparation for the year ahead—the perfect headspace for professional growth. Gathering at this time of year allows us to share our successes and glean ideas from our colleagues who share in our challenges of producing outdoors and gives us time to implement new strategies or tools as we prepare for the coming season.

Join Us We hope you will join us in Chillicothe, OH this October 7-10, 2026 for the 63rd Annual National Convention on Outdoor Theatre. Additional event information will be shared soon! Come for the professional development, stay for the sunset over the mounds, and leave with a renewed passion for the great outdoors. We’ll see you in the hills.

Theatre Symposium

“THEATRE & COMMUNITY”

Send your news to Thomas Pinckney, Marketing & Communication Manager. thomas@setc.org.

www.setc.org

May 29–31, 2026 | Department of Theatre and Communication Studies at Clark Atlanta University

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NEWS Connecting You to Opportunities in Theatre Nationwide

Central Office SETC 5701 W. Gate City Blvd.

Suite K, Box 186 Greensboro, NC 27407 336 265 6148 info@setc.org

ADVERTISE with us!

SETC offers several affordable ways to put your program in front of a board audience.

Email us for more information.

Send your news to Thomas Pinckney, Marketing & Communication Manager. thomas@setc.org.

If you have found any factual or photographic errors in this newsletter, please email thomas@setc.org with a correction.

Pages to Performance: Playwrights Building Community at SETC

By Tiffany Gilly-Forrer

The first time a playwright walks into a conference like SETC, there’s often a quiet question sitting just beneath the surface: Is there a place for me here? For years, the Southeastern Theatre Conference has been a cornerstone for actors, directors, designers, and educators, a place

Tiffany Gilly-Forrer (she/her)

where careers begin and networks expand. However, for playwrights, the experience hasn’t always been as clearly defined. Now, that is beginning to change, and for Maryland playwright Marshall Logan Gibbs, that change has been tangible.

“This year was my second time attending the conference, and my first year attending as a speaker,” says Marshall Logan Gibbs. Their relationship with SETC didn’t begin there, though. Like many theatre artists, they had known about it long before they had ever stepped into the space. “I grew up hearing a lot about it when I was in high school theatre, but unfortunately I never had a chance to go until much later just last year in fact, when the conference came to my hometown of Baltimore, MD - and I am so glad I came! I don’t plan to ever miss it again.”

Gibbs arrives at SETC not just as an attendee, but as a working playwright actively building a career. “I have two published plays by 1319 Press and Next Stage Press, my most notable being MONSTER (OR #METOO, BRUTE) which is a retelling of Julius Caesar as an online influencer,” they said. “My work has been selected for the Valdez Theatre Conference, Midwest Dramatists Conference, and Baltimore Playwrights Festival, among others.”

Their work as a playwright is deeply intertwined with their work as an educator. “I am a full-time writer and teaching artist, so when I am not writing plays, you can find me directing youth theatre or teaching performing arts classes in Maryland.” It’s a balance that makes spaces like SETC especially valuable, not just as a place to present work, but as a place to connect, teach, grow, and learn. But that value didn’t fully reveal itself right away.

www.setc.org

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NEWS NATIONAL CONVENTION OF OUTDOOR THEATRE

IN-PERSON ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Gibbs’ first year at SETC offered glimpses of what could be possible—but also revealed the gaps that still existed for playwrights. “My first year attending (2025), there unfortunately wasn’t a lot that the conference had to offer for playwrights,” they said. “There was, of course, the Getchell New Play Award, The 24 Hour Play Fest, and there were two awesome workshops taught by Bob Bartlett, and both were well worth attending! But other than these two sessions, there wasn’t much else for SETC Playwrights in terms of workshops and education.”

OCTOBER 7-10, 2026

Even within those limitations, something important happened: they made their own opportunity. “I still made the most of what the conference did have to offer: namely, the fringe festival, where we put on a production of my one-act play: My Daughter’s a Demon.” That experience became a kind of entry point, not just into the conference, but into the possibilities it holds for playwrights willing to take initiative. If you are a theatremaker interested in self-producing, the SETC Fringe Festival is a great way to get involved,” they shared. “If you and your friends are already coming to the conference and you have a short play that’s ready to see a stage, the fringe is a fantastic opportunity just waiting for you. I definitely recommend it!”

SAVE SAVE THE THE DATE DATE HO ST

continued

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www.setc.org

By the time Gibbs returned the following year, something had shifted.

“This year, there were certainly a lot more workshops for playwrights!” they shared. “So many topics were covered, from How to Start Writing to Revising/Editing to I’ve Written a Play Now What Do I Do?! There were workshops for a variety of different experience levels, too, so there truly was something for everyone.” It wasn’t just the increase in programming; it was the range. The sense that playwrights at different stages of their journey were being welcomed and supported. Then, there were the moments that couldn’t be scheduled. “My favorite part of the conference were the hallway conversations… getting to meet and chat with so many creative theatre-people all in one place, including friends I’ve only known via the Internet before - getting to meet and conference with them and with all of the student playwrights that attended my workshops was just fantastic.”

ROOTED IN PLACE, REACHING FORWARD

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They focused on what that meant in practice: “I left feeling like I made a lot of new friends and that is a great feeling.” This year, Gibbs wasn’t just attending those conversations; they were leading them. “I had two [workshops] and they went very well!” they said. The first, Self Marketing for Playwrights, addressed a question that hovers over nearly every emerging writer’s career: How the heck do I get my work staged? “My first was Self Marketing for Playwrights, and it was all about how to build a presence for yourself as a playwright online and find opportunities to get your work staged,” they explain.

“The first was more well-attended and actually went over time because of the great conversations we were having in the room—and I think that this is a testament to the fact that this workshop was covering the question that every playwright really wants to know.”

What they heard from the students in the room confirmed it. “From talking with dozens of students that attended this session, it seems clear to me that this is the hurdle a lot of playwrights face early in their career. They’ve written, they’ve revised, but now they want their play to be performed!” Their second workshop, Writing Modern Adaptations of Classic Plays, offered a different kind of entry point—one rooted in craft, structure, and creative exploration. Together, the two sessions reflected what playwrights need most, both the how and the what next.

Even as the presence of playwriting grows at SETC, Gibbs is clear-eyed about what could come next. “Well, I have a nitpick, but one that I think is important enough to address,” they said. “On Whova and the schedules for all of the programming… Directing and Playwriting workshops and events are listed together. As in the category was ‘Directing/ Playwriting.’ I really would like to see the distinction between these two very different paths clear.” It’s a small detail, but a meaningful one. Naming something clearly is often the first step in recognizing its importance.

Beyond that, they imagine something more expansive—a space not just for attending, but for creating in real time. “I also think it would be nice to have a dedicated space to work on writing and to share work with one another,” they suggested.

“A casual room that playwrights can come to throughout the conference to workshop their writing, hear their work aloud, and have discussions with the other attending playwrights.” It’s an idea rooted in community, and in the understanding that playwrights don’t just need platforms; they need rooms. “A dedicated community space like this could be very helpful and a fantastic resource to SETC playwrights. I heard other playwrights who have been attending SETC for much longer than I have reminiscing about how this was something SETC used to offer, but doesn’t anymore. So there is some history to this!”

The word community comes up again and again, not as a buzzword, but as something actively built. Something that requires presence, participation, and a willingness to show up—not just for your own work, but for others’. “We playwrights are a small but mighty bunch - and it’s at places like SETC where we sharpen our community and make lasting connections.” There is something powerful in that framing. Small, but growing; mighty, not in scale, but in intention. For young playwrights considering SETC, the opportunity is not just in what already exists, but in what is still taking shape. The fringe festival is there, waiting for new work, workshops are expanding, reaching writers at different stages, and conversations are happening in hallways, sessions, or the spaces between. Perhaps most importantly, playwrights themselves are showing up, bringing their work, their questions, their ambition, and their willingness to build something together. Gibbs felt that shift firsthand. “I loved getting to meet so many people this year and I look forward to another great conference in 2027!”

Somewhere right now, there is a playwright with a draft open on their laptop that they’ve written, they’ve revised, and they’re wondering what will come next. SETC is becoming one answer to that question. Not a final destination—but a place to expand and grow. A place to test ideas. A place to meet collaborators. A place to step out of isolation and into community. For those willing to take that step, the room is getting bigger, one playwright at a time.

www.setc.org

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NEWS Why is SETC Special?

By Joanna Sheehan Bell - SETC Executive Director When I think about what makes SETC special, I keep coming back to the importance of gathering.

As theatre artists, we spend so much of our lives thinking about how to gather audiences. We think about what it means to bring people together in a room for something live and shared. But gathering artists matters too.

We gather to rehearse, to learn, to audition, to teach, to hire, to collaborate, to share and to imagine what comes next. In a field that can so often feel scattered by geography and resources, places of meaningful gathering matter even more.

Joanna Sheehan Bell (she/her) SETC Executive Director

That is one of the reasons SETC matters.

Few organizations in the American theatre field stand so fully at the crossroads of training, practice, hiring, mentorship, and lifelong professional connection. SETC does. And it does so by creating spaces where people can come together with purpose.

In Chattanooga, students arrived looking for a first opening. Educators and mentors came to guide the next generation. Professionals came to recruit, teach, and reconnect. Institutions came because SETC remains one of the rare places where so many parts of the theatre ecosystem still meet in one place.

We were reminded again that when theatre people gather, opportunity follows.

What I value most about SETC is that it is practical in the best sense of the word. It helps people build skills, find work, and form he relationships that

Beth Leavel sings at the Distinguished Career Award Keynote Address

shape careers. It helps artists, technicians, educators, and leaders see a path forward in a field that can often feel difficult to navigate. SETC does not simply celebrate theatre. It helps sustain it by connecting people to opportunity.

I believe deeply in that kind of work.

I believe the arts are empathy engines, expanding our capacity to understand one another. Theatre, especially, is rooted in collaboration, and collaboration begins by coming together. If we want a resilient field tomorrow, we must continue investing in the structures that help people enter the profession, grow within it, and remain in it over time.

www.setc.org

A scene from Laundry and Bourbon presented at the Community Theatre Festival sponsred by Ludus

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This organization has strong roots and a remarkable legacy. Many people can trace a job, a mentor, a turning point, or a lasting professional relationship back to SETC. That is not accidental. It is what happens when a trusted organization creates the conditions for people to gather with intention.

That is part of what excites me most about this role. I am honored to be part of an organization with such deep roots and such possibilities. If you care about the future of theatre, there is a place for you in this organization. I hope you will make a plan to gather with us in the coming year: audition, express interest in a leadership role, start planning a workshop proposal, or simply make plans now to be in the room with us in Lexington. Help us build what comes next and, together, shape a stronger, bolder theatre field.

Constiuents Connecting at the Annual Mixer sponsored by Concord Theatricals

Ursula Robinson presented Annette Grevious with the Suzanne M. Davis Award

Workshop enagagement was a point of excitement this year

www.setc.org

A scene from The Crane Wife presented at The Secondary School Theater Festival

Excitement in the Exhibition Hall sponsored by Disney Live Entertainment

Dance Call, just one part of the Audition process at convention

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NEWS Fall Professional

AUDITIONS

and Tech Interviews

Theatre Symposium: Welcome to Clark Atlanta University

By Dr. Eve Graves The Department of Theatre and Communication Studies (TCS) at Clark Atlanta University is proud to host the Theatre Symposium community in May. We hope this is the beginning of a long, substantive artistic partnership.

Dr. Eve Graves, Professor (she/her) Department Chairperson Department of Theatre and Communication Studies Clark Atlanta University

Like SETC, the TCS Department is a vibrant and innovative multidisciplinary learning community. Since Adrienne McNeil Herndon taught drama and staged classical plays at CAU in the 1800s, the TCS department has sought to create a more equitable, and humane world through the art of storytelling and the study of human communication.

We are unapologetically committed to examining human identity and practice through the lens of communication and collaborative artistic exploration. We truly believe and teach our students: “totus mundus agit histrionem” (the whole world is a playhouse). So, join us and unlock your creative genius in the Department of Theatre and Communication Studies on the campus of Clark Atlanta University May 29-31, 2026.

CAU---where ALL are welcome and ALL forms of theatrical scholarship are celebrated!

Look no further, SETC has you covered!

SEPTEMBER

4-6 ATLANTA, GA www.setc.org

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NEWS Got any bright ideas?

FEATUREDJOB LISTINGS Assistant or Associate Professor of Scenic Design at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in Madison, WI Capenter at Pacific Conservatory Theatre in Santa Maria, CA Associate Production Manager at Virginia Repertory Theatre in Richmond, VA Props Supervisor at Virginia Repertory Theatre in Richmond, VA

Take the next step in your career! Explore these and many more available positions at the SETC Theatre Job Board.

To post a job listing, click here Thanks to SETC’s Contributors Lindsay Fussell Jeffery Gibson Laurie Horsley Rebecca Moore Jeffrey Nixon Tara Peart Thomas Rodman Rodney Van Valkenburg

To make a donation to SETC, click here 78TH ANNUAL SETC

Email your newsletter article suggestions to Thomas Pinckney at thomas@setc.org www.setc.org

CONVENTION

LEXINGTON MARCH 3-6, 2027 MARCH 3-6, 2027

ONSALE AUGUST 15,2026

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SETC Hall of Fame Honorees The Hall of Fame recognizes people and organizations who have made major contributions or had significant impact on SETC over a sustained period of time.

Ginger Poole Avis

Kathy Benjamin

Woody Weaver

Getchell New Play Award Alex Dremann, for his play omniHappy In omniHappy, Helen and Phil are living in a pristine near-future dystopian Philadelphia, where the mega tech company Omni controls everything about their lives and their data. Omni’s only goal is to keep its customers happy and spending money. If a customer becomes unhappy, Omni tasks the person causing the unhappiness with killing (or “churning”) the unhappy customer. Today’s the day Omni detects Phil has become unhappy, so Helen is tasked with churning her husband… which makes her unhappy. But Helen is a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania and has been working on a research project that might save both their lives — and doom all of humanity to omniHappiness.

Alex Dremann

www.setc.org

If you are considering producing omniHappy, please contact Alex Dremann directly to arrange licensing.

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NEWS Secondary School Festival Honors

The Cast of Lafayette High School’s winning production of James and the Giant Peach.

Outstanding Play Production James and the Giant Peach Lafayette High School, KY Runner-Up Theatre People....

Lakeside High School, GA Finalists A Monster Calls Stewart Creek High School, TN The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane West Henderson High School, NC This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries...

Greater Atlanta Christian School, GA Outstanding Director Lisa Bridges for Theatre People...

New World School of the Arts, FL Outstanding Performance Ensemble This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries...

Greater Atlanta Christian School, GA Outstanding Comedic Timing The Cast of Theatre People...

Lakeside High School, GA www.setc.org

Outstanding Scenic Design The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Pearl High, MS Outstanding Costume Design James and the Giant Peach Lafayette High School, KY Outstanding Sound Design The Crane Wife Ocean Spring High School, MS Outstanding Hair & Makeup Design The Bell Witch Lafayette High School, VA Outstanding Choreography Tale of the Magic Drum Indian River Charter High School, FL Outstanding Adaptable Set The School Spirit Clay County High School, KY Outstanding Puppetry A Monster Calls Stewart Creek High School, TN SPRING 2026

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Outstanding Performer Jonah Rinser as Harlequin in Of Widows and Vegetables, Union Pines High School, NC Rhyse Sterling as Charlotte in Theatre People or The Angel Next Door, Lakeside High School, GA Outstanding Supporting Performer Xavier Strand as Audience Member in Of Widows and Vegetables Union Pines High School, NC Landis Scott in Um, I Think the Psych Teacher is Dead Parkersburg South High School, WV

A moment showcasing Grace Hellard as Aunt Spiker and Reese Owens as Aunt Sponge in James and the Giant Peach

Cole Reisner as Edward Tulane in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

www.setc.org

Rhyse Sterling in Theatre People or The Angel Next Door

Jonah Risner (left) as Harlequin in Of Widows and Vegatables

Oustanding Comedic Duo Grace Hellard as Aunt Spiker and Reese Owens as Aunt Sponge - James and the Giant Peach, Lafayette High School, KY Outstanding Physical Performance Cole Reisner as Edward Tulane in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, West Henderson High School, NC Outstanding Storytelling Ben Hawkins, Riley Shamaybe, & Kayley Ward as narrators in This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries...,Greater Atlanta Christian School, GA Oustanding Cameo Alex Naggey as Dog in Failure: A Love Story, EC Glass High School, VA

Ben Hawkins, Riley Shamaybe, & Kayley Ward as narrators in This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing

Alex Naggey as Dog in Failure: A Love Story

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Cast and Crew of James and the Giant Peach

Cast and Crew of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Outstanding Tech Company James and the Giant Peach Lafayette High School, KY

Spirit of the Festival The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Pearl High, MS

Secondary School Festival All-Star Cast Isabella Agnew Layla Alexander Tabitiha Anderson AJ Briggs Makenzie Brown Noah Casey Elliott Davidoff Max Domina Lauren Edmonds Alyssa Flinchum Avery Lane Green Logan Gwynn Sophia Haupt Will Hoffman

www.setc.org

Abby Holmes Addison Kidd Caia McCauley JT McCoy Mikkel Mitchell Angie Montes Lily Nash Patrick Oliver Grace Pena Addyson Pollzzie Elia Pyper Gabe Rice Raelynn Rivers Dustin Roberts

La'Deja Rolle Reece Rushing Hunter Sailor Nadia Samassekou Dehvan Sherod Morganne Shoop Natalise Snead Ava Stevens Tyler Terrell Averie Whitacre Cameron Wilkie Cheyenne Williams Ayden Wood Annalise Youmans

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NEWS Studio Festival Honors

The moment from Jamestown High School’s winning production of Mother of Exiles

Outstanding Play Production Mother of Exiles Jamestown High School, VA Runner-Up The Bald Soprano Brunswick High School, GA Finalists Backspace Hoover High School, AL ONE Socastee High School, SC The Secret in the Wings Charlottesville High School, VA Outstanding Director Meredith T. Taylor for ONE Socastee High School, SC Outstanding Performance Ensemble The Bald Soprano Brunswick High School, GA The Secret in the Wings Charlottesville High School, VA www.setc.org

Outstanding Student Playwriting Withering Away Cane Bay High School, AL Outstanding Music Laila Rasnake, Sil Leva, & Elizabeth Bennett as the musicians from Secret in the Wings Charlottesville High School, VA Outstanding Script Mother of Exiles Jamestown High School, VA Outstanding Ensemble within an Ensemble Myra Johnson, Leonard Bonner, Kendall Morris, Amara Pierre, & Andrew Thompson for The Bald Soprano Brunswick High School, GA Outstanding Student Leadership Olivia Calvin for The Secret in the Wings Charlottesville High School, VA

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Outstanding Performer Canton Murphy as Mr. Pulitzer in Mother of Exiles Jamestown High School, VA Sasharyan Paulk as Emma Lazarus in Mother of Exiles Jamestown High School, VA Outstanding Supporting Performer Savanna Wright as Mrs. Smith in The Bald Soprano Brunswick High School, GA Ty Morten as Mr. Martin in The Bald Soprano Brunswick High School, GA

Canton Murphy as Mr. Pulitzer in Mother of Exiles

Sasharyan Paulk as Emma Lazarus in Mother of Exiles

Studio Festival All-Star Cast Cosby Alderman Frances Cattelane Olivia Colvin Elizabeth Falkner Langston Foskett Jackson Garrett Leliel Helu Drew Huff Kelsey Kathman Auguste King Elaina McNorton Lucas Miedma Leah Munsell Josh Nielsen

www.setc.org

Addison O'Quinn Braxton Quinney Olivia Ramirez-Weaver Justin Rivera Ary Sanchez Lili Sanders Lyric Sheck Lauren Stanley Eden Stephens Madison Todd Elizabeth Toomey Parker Vile Jamiyah Washburn Jonathan Williams Wil Zieger

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Community Theatre Festival Honors sponsored by LUDUS

Outstanding Production

Laundry & Bourbon Wetumpka Theatre Depot, AL

The Revolutionists Starkville Community Theatre, MS

Outstanding Achievement in Acting

Jessica Jolly as Marie Antoinette The Revolutionists Starkville Community Theatre, MS

Maggie Rowe as Elizabeth Laundry & Bourbon Wetumpka Theatre Depot, AL

Spirit of the Road

Almost, Maine Theatre Oxford, MS

www.setc.org

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NEWS Achievement Costuming The Revolutionists Starkville Community Theatre, MS Achievement in Technology Kayana Frank Still Life Aero Theatrics, AL Achievement in Scenic Design John Mitchell Laundry & Bourbon Wetumpka Theatre Depot, AL Achievement in Lighting Design Thomas La Foe The Revolutionists Starkville Community Theatre, MS

A moment from Trifles at Playhouse in the Park, KY, featuring the winning Period Set Dressing and Properties

www.setc.org

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Costume Design Winner The Revolutionists

Achievement in Period Set Dressing & Properties Bridget Poor Trifles Playhouse in the Park, KY Outstanding Achievement in Direction Louie P. Gallo The Revolutionists Starkville Community Theatre, MS Kristy Meanor Laundry & Bourbon Wetumpka Theatre Depot, AL Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting Dalton Cade Causey Still Life Aero Theatrics, AL Promising Emerging Artist Award Ella Arens as Young Sandra Big Fish: School Edition Encore Kids, GA

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A moment showcasing the award-winning Big Fish: School Edition choreography

Outstanding Choreography Lori Willis Big Fish: School Edition Encore Kids, GA Outstanding Ensemble Acting Laundry & Bourbon Wetumpka Theatre Depot, AL The Revolutionists Starkville Community Theatre, MS Outstanding Youth Ensemble Acting Big Fish: School Edition Encore Kids, GA

Achievement in Art Design Still Life Aero Theatrics, AL Achievement in Music & Special Effects The Revolutionists Starkville Community Theatre, MS Achievement in Stage Combat Choreography Carly Balog Don’t Kill the Messenger Stage & Steel Productions, WV

A moment showcasing the award-winning Don’t Kill the Messenger Stage Combat Choreography

Community Theatre Festival All-Star Cast

Crosby Alderman Victoria Greene Gavin Lane Kaleb Mercado Richard “Twist” Oliver Justin Wadkins

www.setc.org

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NEWS Best of the Fringe Festival MEDEA South Carolina Experimental Theatre Initiative

Fringe Festival’s Chair’s Choice Award Pirate Island Columbia College Chicago

www.setc.org

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2026 Design Tech Award Winners

sponsored by Associated Controls & Design

Cassandra Tuan Khai Teng is the winner of the 2026 John Spiegel Theatrical Award which is presented annually to a student pursuing a degree or certificate in one of the following areas: Lighting Design, Projection Design, Properties Design, Scenic Design, Sound Design, Technical Direction, and Stage Management.

Teng Cassandra Tuan Khai hn Spiegel winner of the 2026 Jo Theatrical Award

Stage Management Games sponsored by NuDelta Digital 1st Place: Meredith Bennett - Clemson University 2nd Place: Alexandra Wyant - Virginia Tech University 3rd Place: Grayson Miller - Shenandoah University

Sustanibility in Production Award 1st Place – Abby Bilson from Indiana University for Merrily We Roll Along 2nd Place – Johanna Bieszke from Ball State University for Hunting 3rd Place – Autrey Brown from the University of Kentucky for Into the Woods Honorable Mention - Lily Groff from Lafayette College for Much Ado About Nothing

Casey Lockledge’s scenic design for Mr. Burns - A Post-Electric Play

www.setc.org

Abby Bilson Green Production Display for Merrily We Roll Along

Undergraduate Scenic Design Award Sponsored by SCAD 1st Place – Casey Lockledge from Virginia Commonwealth University for Mr. Burns - A PostElectric Play 2nd Place – Peyton Kistler from Ball State University for The Adding Machine 3rd Place – Autrey Brown from the University of Kentucky for Into the Woods Honorable Mention – Ann Bradbury from University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for L’Egisto

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A moment featuring Vivien Smith’s design for The Crucible

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Undergraduate Lighting Design Sponsored by ETC 1st Place – Vivien Smith from VCU Arts for The Crucible 2nd Place – Aislinh Kelley from College of William and Mary for Personal Belongings 3rd Place – AJ Ring from Muhlenberg College for The Play That Goes Wrong Honorable Mention – Mari Gutierrez from Ball State University for Goodnight, Tyler

Undergraduate Costume Design Sponsored by SCAD 1st Place – Victoria Kahnle from University of Tennessee - Knoxville for The Harvest 2nd Place – Maggie Payne from Wake Forest University for Failure: A Love Story 3rd Place – Reese Walters from Ball State University for Romeo & Juliet Honorable Mention - Ari Chapman from Harding University for The Great Gatsby Victoria Kahnle’s design sketches for The Harvest

Sound Design Award Sponored by SCAD 1st Place – Carly Galbreth from Wake Forest University for Failure: A Love Story 2nd Place – Callie Wittmann from Wake Forest University for Old Times 3rd Place – Olivia Reiss from Muhlenberg College for Ride the Cyclone Carly Galbreth

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Morgan Hushes design of The Boy

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Costume Crafts Award 1st Place – Morgan Hughes from Indiana State University for The Boy 2nd Place – Carter Buehl from Indiana State University for Misery 3rd Place – Lauren Summers from Wake Forest University for Barn Wood and Blue Roses

Kurtis Spann

Technical Design & Construction Award sponsored by Productions Unlimited, Inc. Kurtis Spann from Ball State University for Romeo & Juliet Makeup Design Award Sadie Vaugn from College of William and Mary for The Scarlett Pimpernel

Sadie Vaugn’s research and design concept sketch for The Scarlett Pimpernel

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Costume Technology Award 1st Place – Maggie Payne from Wake Forest University for Theoretical Ball Gown - Old Times 2nd Place – Max Maxwell from University of Kentucky for Thimble

Maggie Payne’s fully realized ball gown for Old Times

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Properties Design and Construction Award sponsored by Georgia Stage 1st Place – ziqi Huang from Wake Forest University for Failure: A Love Story 2nd Place – Autrey Brown from University of Kentucky for Into the Woods 3rd Place – Wren Gerac from Berry College for She Kills Monsters Honorable Mention – MacKenzie Crossland from Ball State University for The Brementown Musicians ziqi Huang’s design display for Failure: A Love Story

A scale model of Gabby S. Trice’s scenic design for The Lightning Thief The Percy Jackson Musical

Graduate Scenic Design Award Sponsored by SCAD 1st Place – Gabby S. Trice from University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music for The Lightning Thief The Percy Jackson Musical 2nd Place – Alondra Castro from University of Tennessee - Knoxville for The Royale 3rd Place – Regan Densmore from University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music for Hair Honorable Mention - Michael James from University of Florida for Harvest

Graduate Lighting Design Award Sponsored by ETC 1st Place – Jonathan Leatherman from University of Florida for F.Punk Junkies 2nd Place – Dylan Tillery from University of Tennessee - Knoxville for Sense & Sensibility

A moment showcasing Jonathan Leatherman’s lighting design for F.Punk Junkies

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Tori Niemiec with her winning Design for Sense & Sensibility

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Graduate Costume Design Award Sponsored by SCAD 1st Place – Tori Niemiec of the University of Tennessee Knoxville of Sense & Sensibility 2nd Place – MaKenzie Vaughan from Florida State University for You on the Moors, Now 3rd Place - Abigail Larsen from University of Florida for F.Punk Junkies

Tori Niemiec’s winning Design for Sense & Sensibility

Ready to Design Regan Densmore, Lexington Children’s Theatre Gabby S. Trice Childrens Theatre of Chatlotte

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If you have found any factual or photographic errors in this newsletter, please email thomas@setc.org with a correction.

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